Karma
by SouPi
Summary: [AU] A small change can send events spiraling out of control. What if Luke wasn’t Asch’s replica? What if they were really twins? One small change can make everything so different. Enemies, events, and… friends.
1. A Single Glass Ball Was Dropped

A small change can send events spiraling out of control. What if Luke wasn't Asch's replica? What if they were really twins? One small change can make everything so different. Enemies, events, and… friends.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Tales of Abyss, as much as I wish I do. If I did, Asch would have never died.

**BTW**: If anyone knows or has a game script, can you let me know? All I have is a translated and somewhat inaccurate version. Thanks:3

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Twins.

She could hardly believe it. Even now, she had a hard time grasping her mind around such a mind-boggling concept. The whole nine months she was expecting a child- hence single child- but when the doctors proclaimed that there was another baby coming out minutes after her first birth, she was as surprised as her husband. The Score had predicted only a single child. But the second boy's birth was unpredicted. As if he had appeared out of nowhere; that boy had proven the Score _wrong_. It was as unsettling as it sounded. It wasn't just wrong; it went against what the planet had planned for their future. So when her boys were born, she agreed with her husband to keep quit about the Score's false predictions. Susanne didn't want any unwanted gossip lurking around the boys as they grew up.

Her precious boys. If her husband hadn't suggested color-coding them- black for Asch and white for Luke- there would have been no way to tell them apart. Indeed, they were identical to the last strand of hair. Even she, their own mother, had a difficult time telling the differences.

But twins!

Double the joy and quadruple the mess. She often jested that she was lucky enough not to be saddled with triplets. Luke had been a chronic child, crying into the late hours of night. It took all the wet-nurses and the finest nannies to calm the baby, but Asch was as silent as can be. As if to make up for his little brother's troubles. Asch was the responsible one, as if he instinctively knew that he had be there for little Luke.

The two were as thick as thieves, and never far from the other. If Luke was caught red-handed with the cookie jar, then chances were that Asch wasn't too far away, hiding. Vice versa with a different scenario. And to make matters worse, if they switched places, no one would be any wiser. Their tutors were at ropes end with those two. Luke would pretend to be Asch while taking their literature lessons, while Asch would brilliantly pull of Luke's persona during mathematics. Rarely would they get caught (and when they did, her husband made properly sure they were punished).

Now, as they stood guiltily in front of her, both covered in mud and grime she was still unable to tell who was who. It was like putting a mirror between the two.

"Boys…" Susanne began, disappointment heavily coloring her tone. "What have your father and I said about leaving the manor without a proper escort?"

Luke (or was that Asch she wondered silently) shifted uncomfortably. His sad green gaze inspected the highly polished marble floors, unable to look up. "Not to leave without one…" He softly mumbled, eyes tearing up.

Now she knew it was Luke for sure.

"We're sorry, mother. It won't happen again." Asch replied, seconds after his twin's confession. His confident voice sounded loud in the empty drawing room. It was obvious that the two had no intentions of meaning what Asch had promised. They were confined to the manor or surrounded by an entire fleet of guards when they were allowed to venture the city. No wonder they had taken to sneaking outside. Asch and Luke's identical emerald shaded gazes focused upon her face, one was defiant while the other seeking forgiveness.

"Don't tell father, please?" Luke implored while looking anxious. His sweet ten-year-old face melted whatever traces of resolve within her heart. "We're really, really sorry! And it was all Asch's fault! He wanted to go see the- mmph!"

Clamping his hand over his idiot twin's mouth, the redhead glared at his brother. True, they had been caught sneaking out, but if his parents found out that they had been looking for monsters in the abandoned factory. . . and Luke almost told her! "May we be excused?" Asch asked, dragging Luke by the arm before he heard his mother could inquire further. The older redhead was fuming silently as he hauling both of them out of the room.

Susanne sighed.

So, they had been doing something harebrained again. Between the two, they created enough trouble for the entire kingdom itself. She supposed that there were some thanks that they didn't involve princess Natalia in this incident. What her brother would do if his daughter was involved again! No one ever wanted a repeat of what was dubbed as, 'The Guy and Princess Natalia Incident.'

Again.

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When they were a safe distance away, Asch released a breath that he had been holding the whole time. "You stupid dreck!" He hit Luke, positively seething.

"Oww! You didn't have to hit me!"

"Don't you know how much trouble we could have gotten if she found out?" Asch stomped away, leaving Luke alone in the hallway. The door to his room slammed, shutting Luke outside.

The redhead's eyes filled with tears, the boy struggling not to cry. It was his fault that they got caught in the first place. If he hadn't slipped and made Guy notice them, they could have quietly snuck back to the manor. Asch would have gotten most of the punishment just because he the more responsible and older one. To everyone, Luke was the little kid- even father babied him. It wasn't fair! "A-Asch. . . Asch!" He stubbornly refused to cry. "I-I'm s-sorry! I-I won't do it again. . . Asch!" A sniffle escaped his iron will, and the carefully erected wall broke down in a torrent of tears.

He stood there, tears streaking down his grimy cheeks. The redhead furiously tried to wipe them away, but more would replace his trial of tears. Luke felt ashamed. Asch would never cry because of a stupid thing like this. The door to Asch's room slowly creaked open; an exasperated sigh escaped the older boy's pursed lips. As much as Asch tried to be angry at his crybaby of a brother, he couldn't stay like that for very long. Maybe it was the fact that Luke was so naïve, or he trusted his older twin too much for his own good.

"Oh shut up." Asch handed Luke a towel to wipe the mud and tears off his face. Scrunching his face after a moment of deliberation, the older boy reached over and helped Luke. "Next time, don't blab your mouth off or else I'll really won't forgive you."

Wordlessly nodding, Luke handed Asch back the towel. "I'm sorry. . ." He mumbled, looking away from his brother's intense green gaze.

"Whatever." Asch sighed, shaking his head. They stood awkwardly outside of Asch's room, silence bubbling over quietly. Roughly taking Luke's hand, the boy led them outside.

"Where are we going?"

"Isn't it obvious? If Guy hadn't been looking for us, none of this would be our fault. I want some payback. . ." Asch grinned, watching an identical smile creep onto Luke's face. Inside his head, plans for revenge pieced themselves together. If he couldn't blame Luke, then he would find retribution with their servant. "Come on. You know that he's afraid of girls. Let's find Natalia."

Instantly catching onto Asch's evil smile, the younger brother nervously laughed. "Err, Asch. . . Is it okay to scare Guy like that? Won't Natalia get mad if we do this. . . again?"

"Why? Guy's just a servant. It's not like Natalia'll care about playing a joke on a servant." Asch scoffed, gently pushing Luke outside. "Come on Luke. You know how father'll get if he hears you like this." The boy frowned at his twin, bringing up the fact that as the Duke's sons, they were under no circumstances to fraternize with the servants- Guy included.

To Luke, Guy wasn't that bad. He could be a potential friend, if it wasn't the fact that other than the blonde's required duties; Guy refused to stay in the same room as the twins. Luke never figured out why they were so disliked by him. Asch just said that Guy was probably resentful because they were the masters and he was only their lowly servant. "I guess. . ." The redhead hesitantly agreed, following Asch's lead. "Yeah. Who cares about some stupid servant anyways?" Of course Asch was right. But it didn't help shake a stirring of unease within his chest. "I bet you we can order all the maids to help too." Luke added, eventually warming up to the idea.

Asch grinned. No, blaming Luke wasn't going to make him feel better. Rather, extracting revenge on Guy was much more fulfilling. Besides, as hard as he tried, it was impossible to stay angry at Luke for very long. Once his sad green stare fixes on you, everyone becomes like putty in his hands- himself included. "Yeah. Just as long as Father and Mother don't find out. Let's hurry up and go get Natalia!"

"Right!"

The twins exchanged identical grins before running out the door. As they crept past their guards, Luke peeked at Asch. His older brother didn't seem mad at him anymore, which was a relief. Whenever Asch got angry, it made him feel sad and scared. But mostly, he felt as if it was his fault. It was a good thing that Asch wasn't mad anymore. They turned around the corner, silently slipping into the garden. The overgrown hedges were perfect hiding areas because it was hard to spot the two redheads sneaking outside under a hole in the fence.

Twenty minutes later, and a very reluctant Natalia running with them, poor Guy's terrified shrieks echoed around the Fabre household. Susanne winced as lady-like as possible. As she feared, 'The Guy and Princess Natalia Incident' had reoccurred yet again. Seconds later, something akin to dishes shattering and more terrified screaming followed with more chaos.

Oh dear.

And she hoped for a quiet afternoon.

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------- Seven Years Later. . . ---------

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_ND 2000, in Kimlasca shall be born one who inherits the power of Lorelei. He will be a boy of royal blood with hair of red. He will be called the Light of the Sacred Flame, and he will lead Kimlasca Lanvaldear to new prosperity. ND 2002, the one who will seize glory shall destroy the land in which he was born. A land by the name of Hod. War shall thereafter persist between Kimlasca and Malkuth for a full cycle of the seasons. _

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"So. . . The time has come. Prepare. . ."

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He was bored out of his mind.

No, scratch that. He didn't have a mind anymore. If things were as dull as they were right now, the servants would come into his room finding glop dripping out of his ears. It was one of _those_ afternoons where everyone but him was too busy being preoccupied with something else. Each second seemed to last forever, and the last time he checked his clock only ten minutes had crawled by. _Uggh_. Luke thought, staring outside his window with an impassive look on his face. _Can things be any more boring? I wish something interesting would happen. But nothing ever happens anymore. Things are the same old routine._

He wearily slumped back onto his bed, messing his sheets. The ceiling had been repainted, he noticed wryly. _I wonder when?_ Luke mused, mentally sighing- it had come to watching the paint peel off his walls. "I hate my life." He grumbled, rolling over to his side. For starters, ever since his kidnapping incident seven years ago, he was absolutely forbidden outside without a whole legion of guards _and_ a proper escort (either Asch or Guy); there were the same restrictions with Asch. Even if it was a jaunt to the castle, there was the tedious preparation of getting ready- i.e. weapons, armor, healing gels, etc.

Just as he rolled out of bed and approached his door, Luke heard a ringing sound echo inside his head. _Oh no_, he thought, feeling the tell-tale warning signs of an oncoming migraine. _Not now. . ._ He grimaced, green eyes narrowing.

'_Heed. . . My . . . Voice. . . Answer me. . .'_

Luke's head suddenly felt as if it was split in half. Doubling over in agony, the redhead gasped in pain. _Great. . . I'm hearing voices again. I wonder if I'm going crazy?_ He cradled his throbbing skull gently into his arms, letting the hurt fade away. Everything was spinning around, and he was beginning to feel sick.

The door suddenly burst open; Asch stumbled in looking just as bad as he did. The voice must have affected him too. "Luke! Are you all right?" Asch managed to spit out, face contorting into a look of pain mirroring his brother's. Slumping down next to his twin, Asch gently rubbed Luke's temples although his headache was just as terrible. "It seems to be getting more and more frequent- these headaches. Ever since your kidnapping seven years ago. . . Damn those Malkuths!"

Both boys didn't raise the question why Asch was being affected as well. It was a phenomenon that even their doctors couldn't explain. They passed it off as a freaky twin thing. Like their ability to sense each other without even looking up or their near telepathy communication that scared most people. However, the headaches started right after they found Luke at Choral Castle. But the family was relieved that apart from the headaches Luke was all right.

"I'll be fine. But Asch, are you okay?" Luke inquired, the last of the throbbing was gone. Looking worried, Luke thoughtfully tilted his head to the side. "Don't worry about things like that! You have to lighten up, or else you're going to look like you have a stick up your ass." He laughed, attempting to make Asch smile. "Let's train some before Master Van comes today."

Clearly, Asch didn't buy any of his cheerful façade. A delicate eyebrow arched over at Luke's strained grin before the other eyebrow followed.

"C'mon bro, I'm fine. And don't act like you're not hurt either. Look, I'm bored and you just happen to be here. Problem solved!" Luke pointed out, already getting to his feet with a Cheshire cat smile. "Besides, today's training day so we don't have any bookwork lessons. I know you're just itching to settle the score- what was it now? I think fifty-one to fifty now, in my favor."

Sharp emerald eyes glared at his brother. "That didn't count. You cheated." Asch retorted sharply, rising up to match Luke's height. "The score is fifty even. Using Natalia like that. . . that was a low blow, even for you, Dreck."

So, Asch had taken his bait. Luke would have snickered if Asch didn't look so dangerously close to strangling him. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. You're just jealous 'cause I beat you in front of Natalia. Man, you really looked like a loser in front of her!" Luke taunted as he took off, running for his life. He could practically _feel_ Asch breathing down his neck.

At least he got his twin properly motivated now- perhaps too much for the servants may have to put together his body parts before giving him a proper burial. They had ended up in the courtyard where the training equipment had been set up already in preparation for the Commandant's arrival. Both simultaneously reached for a wooden sword and attacked at the same time, matching each other's movements perfectly. It was like a reflection of the same fighter, only one was wearing black while the other its inverse. The servants gathered around the Fabre twins, eager to watch their fight. Identical narrow gazes locked with each other, the same techniques executed at the same time.

"Fang Blade!"

Both cried out, their Arts canceling each other. Landing on their feet, they rushed once more to lock their blades together. The wood cracked and clanged.

"What's the matter, Asch? Getting tired already?" taunted Luke as he shoved his brother back, swinging his sword quickly up. Grunting when the other redhead blocked and counterattacked, the boy quickly spun around and guarded.

Asch shook his head. "You wish, Dreck. I'm just getting started!" He lunged forwards, trying to stab past Luke's solid defense. Although their sword skills were almost evenly matched, Asch was a better rounded fighter because he had a better grasp on Fonic Arts. Luke had yet to cast a faster spell than he did.

However, Asch knew better than to cast a Fonic Art inside the manor unsupervised. When they were being taught, their tutors, parents, _and_ their Uncle made them swear under an oath of eternal grounding in the _dungeons_ that they would _never_ use a Fonic Art during training unless overseen by Master Van. Apparently the mischief the twins attracted (and conjured) would be more than enough to tear the manor apart brick by brick. So Asch was restricted to swordsmanship. Luke nearly hit his wrist if he didn't bring his weapon up to stop him. The heir of the Fabre manor decided that not being able to cast Fonic Arts royally sucked.

When the two of them were breathing hard and sweat dripped from their brow, they silently agreed on a truce for now.

"Man, I'm tired." Luke sighed, wiping his face with a towel provided by a servant. "I can't believe that I couldn't win!"

"Stop whining."

Making a face, Luke tossed his towel at Asch.

The older twin chuckled, catching it before it hit his head.

"Master Asch. Young Master Luke."

Guy approached the twins, his head bowed down. "The Lord and Lady request your presence in the drawing room." The blonde's blue gaze didn't dare make eye contact with the two. His voice was tight and sharp, as if somehow further reducing the words he spoke to a bare minimum.

Asch nodded, not sparing Guy another glance. "Let's hurry."

Shrugging, the redhead followed Asch. When they were young, he tried being nice to Guy but that stupid servant just treated his kindness with the same respect you would give to dirt. Of course, when the Duke found out, Guy was properly punished. Things never were right between them for some strange reason. "Yeah. Oh, Guy?"

"Yes, Young Master?" Guy's soft tone hid the venom lacing his words.

"Clean up the courtyard. When Master Van comes, I don't want this to be a mess." Luke ordered.

Murmuring, Guy replied, "Of course, Young Master. It will be done."

Even to this day, Luke felt some regret. Perhaps in a different world, in a different place, things between him and Guy were all right.

But that was just his wishful thinking.

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Entering the drawing room, Asch raised his voice so that it carried over the conversation between his parents and Master Van. "Father, Mother, Master Van. We have come." He bowed his head, Luke following the suite.

"Ah, boys. Have a seat." Their father said, his stern gaze following the twins. "I'm afraid today's training day must be canceled. There are more pressing matters to be discussed."

Luke couldn't hide his disappointment. "Aw. And here I was, looking forward to it too. May I ask why?" He sat down next to Master Van while Asch sat next to his mother.

Clearing his throat, Van looked slightly apologetic. "I'm afraid that I must return to Daath tomorrow. As the Commandant of the Order of Lorelei my duty is to protect the Fon Master." The worried look didn't go unnoticed by Asch.

"Why? Is there something wrong?" He asked, voice suddenly becoming sharp and serious. The previous playful banter in his tone disappeared at once. Sitting across from him, Luke silently marveled at the sudden change from annoying older brother to serious future king. "Did something happen to Fon Master Ion?"

Duke Fabre nodded. "It appears that the Fon Master has gone missing."

Eyes widening, Luke stared at Van seeking answers. "B-but what's going to happen between Kimlasca and Malkuth? Thanks to the Fon Master, we were able to make a truce between the Malkuth Empire and us. With him gone. . ." He trailed off, the sudden implications of the Fon Master disappearing made his stomach churn.

He exchanged troubled glances with Asch.

"Not to worry. At the moment, the entire Order is doing its best to search for the Fon Master. It will only be a matter of time before we find him." Van's confident voice soothed most of Luke's anxiety. "And I'm sure the King is wary of war as much as Emperor Peony."

Their mother, as if perceiving her sons' disappointment of not being able to train with the Commandant, softly amended matters. "Dorian General Grants is leaving later this evening. Perhaps you can spare some time to teach them something this afternoon?"

"They need to get stronger." Duke Fabre sounded condemning. "As they are right now, they are too weak."

The twins made a sour scowl.

"Dear. . . Although Luke had experienced a terrible ordeal in the past, they're both trying to become stronger. Try to be a bit more understanding." Susanne reprimanded her husband, sending her sons a soft smile. "Boys. Although I understand your need to become better swordsmen, you might get hurt so please be careful."

"Don't worry about us, mother. We'll be fine! Isn't that right, Asch?" Luke cheerfully replied, "Although you ARE getting a bit slower. Slacking off much, are we? Been too busy with Natalia, have we? Hmm, is there something going on that you're not telling us, bro?" His wicked grin stretched from ear to ear.

"Take that back, Dreck!" Asch gritted his teeth together, eyes closed in deep concentration. It would not do if the heir of Kimlasca strangled his twin brother to death- as tempting as it was at the moment. No, he was supposed to be refined, dignified, and most of all, responsible. He, Asch fon Fabre was the responsible elder sibling. There was no way in hell that he was going to succumb to Luke's level. . .

"Did you kiss her yet?"

That's it.

With an undignified growl, Asch rose to his feet to permanently silence his brother. So what if father won't have Luke to take over when he retired? The look on his face was positively murderous. "I'll give you to three. One. . . Three! Dreck! Get back here!" He snarled, storming off after Luke who had taken off like a rabbit.

"Nyaaa! Can't catch me, Asch!" Luke's light teasing banter carried back into the drawing room where the occupants sighed.

Van shook his head ruefully. "Perhaps I should prepare for their lesson. Once they settle down, I'll begin immediately."

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"Jeeze Asch, you didn't need to throw the chair at me! What if you had actually hit me?"

"I would have asked if the chair was all right."

"You're being mean again."

"And you're being a Dreck again. Same difference."

"Someone's touchy today."

"Shut up."

"Maybe I won't."

"Do you _want_ to die?"

The two bickered back and forth as they walked to the courtyard where they were told that Van was waiting for them. So far, Luke was winning the verbal spar by dragging Asch's obvious love for her into their argument.

In the middle of the courtyard, Guy and Van were discussing something in hushed tones. From where the twins were, they only heard snatches of their conversation.

"As I said. . . I'll leave this to you then. The duke, the king, and about Luke. . ."

"Hmm. . . I see. The Oracle Knights must be in pretty bad condition then. . ."

Before the twins could eavesdrop any further, their gardener gave them away. "Master Asch! Young Master Luke!" Much to their disappointment, Guy and Van immediately ceased their discussion.

"What are you doing here?" Luke asked Guy, his large green eyes searching Guy's own.

"Ah. Forgive me, Young Master Luke. . . But I was merely asking Dorian General Grants the finesse of swordplay." Guy never raised his head, instead to keep his attention focused on the ground.

Asch gruffly stepped in, "It sure didn't sound like that to me." He suspiciously glanced at Guy and then to Van. For now, he would keep quiet. He didn't want to ruin the lesson for Luke who had been looking forward with Master Van. "Whatever."

"Guy, perhaps you would like to watch us?" Van invited the blonde with a warm smile, motioning him to sit on a bench. "You might learn something more about swordsmanship that way."

As impatient as ever, Luke huffed, "Master Van! We don't have all day! Let's get started!"

Asch rolled his eyes.

A typical Luke response.

"All right. Let's start, shall we?" Van raised his sword, and motioned for the boys to do as well. "Instead of wooden swords, today we will use real ones. Be careful, now." He warned, knowing the full capabilities of Luke and Asch's penchant for trouble.

"We know, Master Van."

They began, Asch attacking Van while Luke supported him from the side. Unfortunately, as good as their swordsmanship skills were, Van's was much better. It was as if the Commandant had two swords in his hand- not once was Luke or Asch able to land a hit on the man. Sliding back from a blow, Luke winced. Asch wasn't faring any better either. They proceeded attacking again, metal crashing against metal.

"Arrrggg!" Luke recklessly charged, letting his frustration get the better of him.

"You idiot!" Asch yelled, too late to stop Luke.

Van smirked and the redhead was sent flying. He strode over to Luke, offering his hand. "Let's take a break, shall we?"

Balefully accepting Van's help, Luke brushed off his clothes. "I guess." He sheathed his sword, and stretched, getting the kinks in his back. "It feels like I haven't gotten any better, you know? Master Van, you're so strong. . ."

Throwing his head back, Van laughed. "Well, with practice, who knows?"

"A lot of practice." Asch added, taking a drink of water. He ducked when Luke crossly threw a rock at him.

Luke snorted, turning his head away from his brother. _Stupid, overbearing, Asch. . . _His ears twitched, hearing a faint melody. His sibling was too busy talking to Van to notice. _What is that? Is. . . Something going to happen?_

"_Tue rei ze croa riou tue ze."_

"What is it Luke?" Asch paused, glancing over at a frozen Luke. His brother's eyes were wide, body trembling slightly. Something was wrong here. Battle instincts suddenly warned him that an enemy had invaded his manor. Suddenly, his limbs felt heavy and it was a struggle to stay awake. ". . . Luke. . ."

"What's happening to my body. . . I can't move." Luke gasped, falling to the ground. "I'm so tired all of a sudden."

"It's a Fonic Hymn! There's a Seventh Fonist in the manor!"

"Correct."

All heads turned to the speaker. It was a girl around their age, holding a staff in one hand while a dagger in the other. "I've found you at last. Vandesdelca, you traitor! Prepare!" She jumped from the roof top, and landed before Van, swinging her weapon.

"I thought it was you, Tear!" Van blocked with his sword.

Luke watched with horror as his teacher and this (possible) assassin fought. Unlike his battles with Asch, this was for real- life or death. Although he knew that Master Van was skilled, it didn't help that this girl- Tear- was probably just as good. When Tear jumped above Van, preparing to attack him from his blind spot, Luke dove in to save his teacher. This was probably one of his more stupider ideas; he defiantly had a penchant for trouble. How the hell did one manage to turn a training lesson into a life attempt? Only he could. His knees shook as he braced himself against her attack. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He broke free of the stalemate. "Hyyaaaa!"

"Don't! Luke!" Van yelled, but it was too late to stop the wheel of events. The Commandant knew what would happen if two potential Seventh Fonist would resonance together. As of right now, he couldn't afford this to happen!

At first, Luke had an upper hand- his sword was digging into her staff. Suddenly, white light spilled out of nowhere and he was assaulted by the familiar pangs of headache. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Asch grip his head in pain. "N-not this again. . . Ahhhh! That damned voice! Now is so not the time for this. . ."

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"_Resound. . . The will of Lorelei shall reach you. . . and open the way."_

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Tear gasped in shock at what she recognized as the seventh fonons engulfing them. They were causing a hyperresonance somehow. If things continued to oscillate like this, things might spiral out of control.

"Luke!" Asch yelled, running towards his brother. "Luke!" Like a red blur, he dashed to where the light was glowing. Blindly swinging his arms, he knocked the girl away but somehow the seventh fonons kept him from pushing away Luke from this Fonon phenomenon. The light intensified, forcing him to close his eyes. Dimly, he heard Guy's panicked voice.

"Master Asch! Young Master Luke!"

He felt another body plow into his, and an unsettling feeling told him it was their blonde servant playing hero. Why was this happening? Just when he was enjoying a peaceful afternoon, all this just had to happen. Why couldn't things just stay boring in his life? He didn't mind it. The seventh fonons continued to oscillate until there was a final flash of white light. The Fabre twins and their servant disappeared from the courtyard.

After a moment's of silence, Van quickly reacted. Reaching out, he disarmed Tear and pinned her arms behind her back. Just as the guard came pouring into the area, he leaned down so that he lowly said, "You have a lot of explaining to do, Tear."

Somehow Asch, Luke, and Guy had vanished without a trace.

And it was only the beginning.


	2. Chasing After It, Another One Dropped

I thank ladynadiad and darkangel.mya for helping me get the gamescript! It made writing this so much easier. I just sent in my UC applications, so I was pretty busy getting college things done. But now, I have all this free time! XD

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Tales of Abyss. I owe my friend twenty bucks- there's no way I can be rich enough to buy ToA from Namco.

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"_Master Asch! Young Master Luke! Please! Pay attention to the lesson!" Their tutor sharply rapped his ruler against the table, looking quite frustrated by the lack of participation from the two. While Luke was blatantly sleeping- with drool even dripping down his chin- and Asch doodling pictures, it was obvious no one was learning anything at the moment._

_Glancing up from his drawing, Asch drawled, "If there's anything to be learned, then I suppose we aren't learning, are we?" The biting tone made their tutor flinch. At the same time, he kicked Luke awake with his foot._

"_Wh-at?" Yawned Luke, rubbing his eyes wearily. "I-I'm paying attention. Why does this have to be so b-boring?" He couldn't help but yawn again, blearily squinting down at his blank paper on which he was supposed to be taking notes. "I hate math. It's useless. Why would I need it? Let's take a break already. We've been at this for hours." He already rose to his feet, carelessly tossing his pen. Luke ignored the dark look Asch sent him. _

"_Dreck." Asch retorted quietly, setting his paper down. _

"_You wanna start something, Asch?"_

"_Maybe I do, loser."_

"_What did you call me?"_

"_Boys! Let's return to the lesson, shall we? Boys!" Their tutor cried desperately, trying to get the twins to calm down. Luke's eyes already filled with tears, started to whimper which made Asch even angrier for some strange reason. _

"_Crybaby!"_

"_Am not!"_

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"Young Master Luke!"

"Master Asch!"

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"Young Master Luke!"

"Master Asch!"

With a groan, the two opened their eyes in unison. Luke felt as if his body had been put through a food processor and back. Immediately, the redhead noticed that he was no longer in the manor anymore; in fact, from their surroundings it looked like they weren't even in the Capital. "Whoa. . . What just happened?" He grimaced, holding his head. "And where are we?" Fear caused his voice to tremble. Guy stood off to the side, looking grim.

Asch stood up, quickly assessing the situation. "You caused a hyperresonance- an isofonically induced vibration between fonons- with that girl. She was careless to discard that fact that there might be Seven Fonists around. Guy and I happened to get trapped between your hyperresonance." He grasped Luke's hand, helping him up to his feet. "For a while, I thought we got caught up in the Planet Storm." Other than feeling like shit, nothing seemed to be wrong with him. "At least we're fine."

Something didn't feel right. Guy reluctantly moved closer to the boys. "I don't know where we are. We must be cautious." The darkness of their surroundings was more than enough to send chills up and down his spine. No doubt that monsters lurked in the shadows, preying on unsuspecting travelers- or the three of them. No, he didn't like this one bit. And out of all the people he had to be end up with!

It wasn't a big secret that within the Fabre manor, there was enmity between the twins and Guy for unknown reasons. Now that they were stuck in unknown (and possibly dangerous) territory, there had to be some sort of truce between them. Halfheartedly, Asch turned to his servant. "Look, we need to get out of this forest first. Then, we need to find a town or village. From there, we can ask for help. Luke, are you hurt in any way?"

Shaking his head, Luke said, "I'm good. So I take it we're not in Baticul anymore. What do we do now?" He asked with as much cheer as he could muster in spite of their current condition.

"With all due respect, Young Master Luke. . . It is best if we follow a river. It may lead to a town or village." Guy pointed to the stream of water nearby. Although it was too dark to see, they could hear the steady flow of water amongst the reeds and rocks. He curtly bowed his head, allowing for the twins to go first.

Luke readjusted his sword so that he would be able to draw it faster if needed. Who knows what was out there. Asch did the same. Glancing at Guy, who didn't have a weapon on him, the redhead bit his lip. "Here. You can use this." Luke cut down a branch with his blade, trimming the twigs so that the blonde would have some sort of makeshift rapier. "There isn't anyone here who can use the healing artes, so we have to be careful."

Guy accepted Luke's gift with murmured appreciation.

This was a problem. Asch knew that between the three of them, they only had a handful of gels. Although he could use fonic artes, he never had a solid grasp on the healing ones. It seemed Natalia did, and he was beginning to sorely miss her. "Don't do anything reckless." He ordered, meaning for both to hear. "And no one decides to play 'hero'. Guy, that stunt you pulled earlier was pure stupidity. With a hyperresonance, you don't know what's going to happen. We're lucky that we're here instead of being dead."

"My deepest apologies, Master Asch." Guy murmured while tucking the stick into his belt. His bright blue eyes were shadowed by his bangs, so that his expression was unreadable. "It shall not happen again."

Silence fell upon the three as they traveled through the forest. Luke was beginning suspect that they were in some sort of valley or mountain because of the cliffs surrounding them. He was becoming hungry. With a growing horror, he realized that he hadn't eaten since breakfast! It must be the same for the other two he thought and wisely kept his mouth shut. Asch was already in a foul mood, and Guy looked like he would rather hug a girl than stay with them any longer.

The night sky was clear, but the faint glow of the moon did little to help them see what was ahead. Twice, they stumbled across dead ends and had to double back. The way things were going, it looked like they were going to have to sleep in the woods.

After a while, Asch motioned for the two to stop. "Let's rest. Here's a good spot as any." He sat down on a rock and pointed where the river ran off. Quietly, he appreciated the view. Although visibility was low, the unmistakable rolling of the sea sparkled in the moonlight. As tough and level-headed he appeared, in reality was a nervous wreck in the inside. They had no idea where they were going or any supplies. Hell, Guy didn't even have a weapon! And it wasn't just monsters they had to worry about; bandits liked to roam the roads too.

What did he do to deserve this?

"Whoa. The sea. . . Somehow it looks different." Luke happily sat down next to his brother. "I like it better than the one we have home. I'm sort of glad we're here."

"What?" Asch raised an eyebrow. Why would anyone voluntarily _want _to be here? They had no food, water, first aid, or any extra clothing to keep them warm. "Do I want to even know?" He wryly asked, shooting a mild look of amusement at Luke.

Shrugging, Luke scratched his head. "Well, it's kind of hard to explain but. . . We're free, aren't we? I mean, we aren't the Duke's sons here. We don't need an entire platoon of soldiers to escort us around."

"Guy's here." Asch reminded Luke, jerking his head towards their servant sitting on a stump several feet away. "And 'here' is the middle of nowhere. There's no one _to_ escort us around."

That launched an argument between the two. Inwardly, Guy wondered why he jumped in to save the twins in the first place. It really wasn't his duty, and he could have waited for a more opportune moment. More of a reflex and now look where it's gotten him now! Bitterly, he wished that he could just leave the Fabre boys where they were. Against his will, his hands began trembling. _Not now_, he thought. _There will be a time for later._

Even though the forest was a little creepy, Luke was enjoying himself. "Oh yeah? Well at least I don't sleep with a picture of Natalia under my pillow."

"But you do sleep with Mr. Noishe. And how old are you for stuffed animals?" Asch shot back, accusing his younger sibling with a smirk.

Face matching his hair, Luke spluttered, "N-no I don't! Asch, you stupid asshole! I'm gonna. . ." Green eyes widened. The bushes to their left were shaking and making noise. "W-what's that sound?" He fell into a defensive stance, sword drawn out. Asch and Guy already had their weapons ready. Muscles tensing, the three stood in bated breath.

The rattling of the bushes stopped. After a minute of silence, Luke dared to inch forward while ignoring Asch's previous warning to be cautious. An angry boar burst out, causing Luke to stumble back in surprise.

"Careful, you idiot!" Asch yelled, lunging forward and swinging down to drive off the monster. "Fang Blade!" The technique hit the boar in the face, temporarily stunning it long enough for Luke to recover. During that second, Guy used a Demon Fang from the back. The Fabre heir snorted at Guy's long ranged attack- they were risking their lives while Guy was a good distance away from the boar.

Breathing heavily, as well as his heart about to burst, Luke tried to calm himself down. Quite literally, his limbs were shaking. All the fights he ever been in were with Master Van and Asch. They were sparring matches. This was his first life or death fight. And he almost died if it wasn't for Guy and Asch- his mind had a hard time processing that. He almost died. Standing shakily to his feet, Luke steadied his hand. If he was weak enough to kick the can because of that, then he didn't deserve to live in the first place. Readying his sword, Luke swung down to land the finishing blow. "Fang Blade!" He yelled, trying not to grimace when blood spurted everywhere.

"Luke, are you all right?" Now that the monster was dead, Asch dropped his guard and ran over to his brother. "I thought I told you to be careful!"

"Sorry." Luke apologized, wiping his blade on the grass. "Thanks though."

Guy's attention fixed itself ahead. "We're not done yet. There are more monsters." He warned as more enemies appeared from the shadows. Although the makeshift weapon Luke gave him was only wooden, it worked pretty well. The smallest part of him was grateful for that. The rest was still aggrieved of being here with them.

_Here we go again. _The younger twin's wide emerald gaze narrowed in determination. He wasn't going to be a burden on Asch or Guy. "Hey, I'm ready this time. No need to worry about me."

"I wish we could." Asch retorted, leaping over a plant-like monster.

"Hey, I resent that!"

"Could we focus on the battle, Master Asch, Young Master Luke?"

The three quickly dispatched the monster invasion in no time at all. The two nobles sheathed their swords simultaneously. Everyone was breathing tensely, as if expecting more to attack. Like they said: once bitten, twice shy. Asch gruffly said, "Let's keep moving."

Luke and Guy agreed together for once.

The younger twin looked nervous. It was pitch black, so he could barely see three feet ahead of him. The soft glow of the moon was all the light they were provided- the feeling of being caged in grew as they walked deeper into the woods. "I feel like there are monsters everywhere. . . Kind of silly of me, huh?" Luke sheepishly mumbled, muscles taught with edginess that hadn't been there.

"Once you leave the safety of town, monsters can appear anywhere." Guy spoke. The boy in front of him paused, stopping to turn around and look questioningly at his blonde servant. "This is not different from anywhere else. I apologize, but there is nothing I can do about the darkness. It's nighttime. . ."

Asch snorted. "Yeah. I figured. Our main problem is monsters coming out of nowhere." The Fabre heir strained his ears to hear any monsters ahead. All he picked up was the running water and the eerie echo of the wind.

"Well, I guess. But even though where we are is a bit creepy and infested with things that might kill us, I think it's a pretty place. It's been a while since we've been around this much nature." Luke cheerfully said, putting his arms behind his neck with nonchalance.

"I don't understand you sometimes." Asch finally replied after an awkward moment of silence. "And I don't plan on wasting my time trying to. My main priory is getting back to the manor with you in one piece so that I won't have to explain to Mother why her darling boy was mauled by some bear when he was picking roses in the woods." He reached out and grabbed Luke by his collar- preventing the other from running into a low branch.

At this, Luke scowled.

He hated being reminded that he was the 'baby boy' of the manor. It meant in more ways than one that he got babied to death. Probably his kidnapping seven years prior also helped remind everyone that he should be pampered until his brains rotted out. He could do things too, and he liked to remind everyone time to time that he wasn't incompetent.

"Aw damn. There's more!" Luke wriggled out of Asch's grasp, drawing his sword again.

Guy was already fighting, launching a Demon Fang after another. His natural speed made fighting for him so much easier whereas Asch and Luke were a bit slower. Asch's narrowed gaze focused on a boar. "Oh maddening gale of the spirits of the earth. . . Stalagmite!" He gathered the second fonons around him, releasing them at the end of his incantation. The stupid pig monster never stood a chance.

Seeing his older brother cast a spell, Luke made a face. Although he could cast Fonic Artes, it took him too long to gather the proper fonons for it to be useful in battle. As Master Van would say, he needed a bit more practice. "Take this! Havoc Strike!" He jumped into the air to execute his Arte. Forget Fonic Artes. He'll just leave that to the Fonists while he'll stick with melee fighting. "Guy, watch out!" Luke threw his sword, hitting the monster between the eyes.

"Thank you." Guy pulled Luke's weapon out with one hand, hitting a beast with his other. "Young Master Luke. . . Please catch." He tossed the sword back to its owner.

"Thanks Guy! Asch, cover me!" Luke called over his shoulder, charging the boar. "Hyyyaaa!" Letting momentum carry his attack through, Luke had neatly cut the monster into two. Behind him, he felt a build up of fifth fonons. His green eyes widened before ducking behind a convenient boulder.

"Crimson fury, burn! Eruption!"

The heat was strong enough to incinerate the remaining monsters into a pile of ashes. Getting up, Luke glared at his smirking sibling. "That wasn't funny." He grumbled, sulkily shoving his hands into his pockets. "What if you missed and hit me instead?"

Rolling his eyes, Asch motioned that they should start moving again. "Then we won't have to listen to your whining, Dreck."

Luke's lower lip stuck out, as the unheard '_I'm gonna tell Mother on you_' was clearly directed towards Asch. Although he was well past the age for crying, his puppy look was still just as deadly as seven years ago. His pouting certainly did make people give into his wishes. It was most certain that the young noble had his entire family wrapped around his finger- it was a good thing he didn't abuse that (sometimes).

All resolve vanished within Asch. Sighing, the redhead ruefully scratched his head. "C'mon. I think there's going to be a way out in that direction. Quit your sulking." He added when Luke's full blown pitiful look came at him. "Guy, keep up. I don't want to loose a servant, especially now." His tone changed from light to commanding.

The blonde servant bowed his head and obediently followed the twins, falling three steps behind. Time to time, Luke sneaked a look at Guy- blue eyes were hidden by the shadow of his bangs so his expression was unreadable. A shudder ran down Luke's spine, and it just wasn't the cold.

For a while, they walked in silence. Fortunately, no more monsters attacked. Time to time, Asch would check to see if they weren't wandering in circles. To Luke, everything looked the same; how Asch managed to see the difference was beyond him. Much to his annoyance, it looked like Guy didn't seem to have a problem either. Why was he always the clueless one? Squinting his eyes, the boy could barely make out the path before him, but he was sure that it was the way out. "Look!" Excitement crept into his tired voice.

"Quiet! Someone's coming!" Asch hissed, his sword was out in a flash. As he feared, monsters weren't the only things out here.

Guy's eyebrows knitted together in deep contemplation. "I don't think it's bandits, with all due respect." If it were bandits, they would have attacked them in groups already. It was too dangerous, even for robbers, to wander around at night alone.

A man stumbled into the clearing looking panicked and sweating bullets. "Uuh! D-don't tell me you're with the Dark Wings!"

"Dark Wings?" Asch questioned, looking quite skeptical. Now that it was only a man who didn't posses much threat, he relaxed and put his weapon away.

"They're bandits. Two men and a woman. . . Wait, I don't see a female. . ."

Luke quietly snickered to himself. "For Guy's sake, there better be not one." He said under his breath; unfortunately Asch heard and soundly cuffed him. But to be accused of being a thief? The heir to Kimlasca, the next Duke, and their servant, bandits? It was a laughable notion. Luke corrected the man. "We're not bandits. Don't go comparing us to some lowly thugs!" He crossed his arms over his chest, raising his eyebrow.

"We lost our way and wound up here. Who are you?" Asch ignored his sibling and quickly seized the situation. This man probably had some sort of transportation in order to be out here in the woods- it was unlikely that the man ended up here because of a hyperresonance. If he hoped what he dared to hope, then this man was their ticket to get back home.

"I'm a coachman. One of the wheels on my coach started acting up. I lost the drinking water when the jug fell off, so I came here to draw some more." The coachman explained, calming down now that he was assured that he wasn't being mugged by the Dark Wings.

Luke couldn't believe their luck! "A coach? Perfect! Does it go all the way to the capital?" He tried not to sound too eager, but after floundering the woods for Score knows how long, this man was a gift from the heavens.

The coachman nodded. "To the capital, it'll be twelve thousand a piece. You got enough on you?"

Both twins had an identical frown in their faces. Although twelve thousand times three wasn't going to make them go hungry, they didn't have that kind of money on them right now. What a time to have a financial crisis. And it was likely as hell that Guy could pay for them.

Luke turned to his twin with a firm look. "Asch." He stated plainly, green eyes flashing with determination.

"No." The elder sibling replied, teeth gritting. "I can't."

"Don't be selfish. We _need_ that right _now_."

"Do you know how much _I_ need it?"

"Natalia won't even care."

"Yes she will. It's not worth having her mad at me to pay for your travel expenses."

"Love's love right? So what's a couple of rings here and there?"

At this, Asch exploded. "I am _NOT_ giving up my engagement ring!"

Dead silence.

Luke gave his brother a dirty look. "Fine. But can't you pry off a chunk or two of gold?" He asked offhandedly, looking slightly miffed. He couldn't see why Asch couldn't use the ring as a bartering chip. They could easily get it replaced when they got home.

"Luke!"

"Okay! You don't have to yell. You can just wallow in guilt, knowing how much worried Mother and Natalia are going to be. Their beloved boys (and servant) suddenly go missing without a trace or clue. For as all they know, we could be dead somewhere in a ditch. Well, you care more about that ring though. . ." Luke slyly batted his eyes, trying to sound wounded. He knew exactly what to say to push Asch's buttons. The redhead could see all the resolve within Asch go up in flames. It was too easy.

Glowering, Asch took off his engagement ring and nearly threw it at the coachman. It was a pretty ring, solid gold with thin bands of silver intertwined with the design. There were engravings encrypted directly to the surface- it was a real work of art. Asch silently cursed his idiot of a brother while forcing his fingers to let go. "There, satisfied? Let's go now." He growled, stomping away from the clearing. The negative aura practically radiated off him, warding everything away- monsters included.

The foul mood made Guy wary. "Are you sure this was the wisest thing to do, Young Master Luke?" The blonde asked the Fabre boy hesitantly. Usually, the fouler mood Asch was in, the more abused he got.

"Well, at least I won't have to get my shoes dirty." Luke remarked brightly, laughing softly.

"I heard that Dreck!"

"Touchy."

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They had been traveling in the coach for a while now. At least it was enough time for Asch to brighten up- to a small margin. He was still brooding about loosing the ring and was blaming Luke for it.

"C'mon bro, lighten up. I promise I'll never tell Natalia that you got a replacement ring. It's a secret between brothers." He solemnly said, looking very serious. "And Guy'll keep his mouth shut too, right?"

Guy wanted nothing but to be away from this sibling dispute. It wouldn't do him any good if he was further involved so he kept his head low. Just a few more hours, and he'll be free. He reminded himself when he felt his sanity threatening to slip away. He was aware of Asch's unspoken fuming.

Why did he have such an annoying brother? Why couldn't he be an only child? Asch sometimes wondered, and it was too difficult to imagine a life without his irritating brat of a twin. He settled for a dignified scowl and looked outside the window. The countryside rushed by- even though they were heading towards the capital, nothing looked familiar. Alarms blared inside Asch's head, but he chose to ignore them for now.

Their peaceful ride suddenly got interrupted. The entire carriage shook, causing Luke to accidentally bite his tongue in the process. "Owww!" He yelped, sticking out his tongue. "It's bleeding!" Luke whined, tasting copper in his mouth. "Watch where you're going, you bastards!" Sticking his head out the carriage, it took Asch and Guy's combined power to pull him back in.

"Calm down!" Asch quickly analyzed the situation, figuring that they definitely had a deity for chaos. Another coach was being chased by the military, and they were driving by the entire scene. How on earth did they manage to land themselves one harrowing situation after another? He had a headache now. "Keep on driving." The redhead ordered the coachman, voice pitching above the disturbance outside. Just like a battle situation.

"The army's chasing those bandits! It's those Dark Wings I mistook you for!" The coachman's frightened voice sounded breathless and squeaky.

"You, there! Move your roach before you get caught in the crossfire!"

A voice commanded from the ship, and the coachman was only happy to oblige. Luke nearly fell out of his seat when the coach made a sharp swerve to avoid being smashed to pieces. The young nobleman's previous mood had been shot to hell. "Don't tell me that's a. . ." He suddenly swore, sticking his head out the window again. "Hell, don't tell me that's the Malkuth military." Immediately, Guy and Asch yanked Luke back in. Just in time too, as the ship set up a fonic barrier and the bridge behind them collapsed amidst fifth fonons.

"Do you _want_ to loose your head?" Asch demanded, shutting the window and locking it. A grim expression shadowed his face. The same thought was shared by the three boys:_ what do they do now?_ They were stranded in the middle of Malkuth, likely breaking twenty international diplomatic rules in the process of just sitting here. And them (excluding Guy) being sons of the Duke, Asch could already see complications arising.

"Sir. Exactly where are we?" Guy finally asked the coachman, voice as polite as he could make it without sounding strained. They were in Malkuth territory, but exactly where? The closer to the borderline, the better.

"We're in the West Rugnica Plains. Why?"

Oh great. Everything was just peachy now. Luke held back a groan. "We're not even going in the right direction! At this rate, we'll never reach Baticul!" He slumped back into his seat, simply miserable. By now, the coach had left the Malkuth ship and the destroyed bridge far behind. From the quick glimpses he caught as they drove by, the entire bridge had fallen- they weren't going back from where they came from.

Hearing Luke's complaining, the coachman began to become slightly suspicious of his passengers. "You guys are sure acting strange. Are you three Kimlascan?"

The boys froze, flinching. This was bad.

"Of course not. We're from Malkuth. We have business in Baticul." Asch tersely replied for their group. There was no way this man could find out. They had nothing on them to verify who they were. He relaxed slightly. "We should have gone the other direction- south. Now that the bridge is out, we can't go back either."

What a predicament they were in, thought Guy- the irony wasn't lost on him either.

"Well. . . we're passing through Engeve to the east on the way to Grand Chokmah. What do you three want to do?" The coachman asked.

Luke sighed. Exchanging looks with his brother, he wearily replied, "Stop at Engeve. Ending up in Grand Chokmah is only going take us farther away from Kimlasca." Inwardly, he was trembling. Their little 'vacation' had turned into a disaster, not that it was a picnic to begin with. If he had any consolidation, they were out of the valley at least. The younger twin shut his eyes, trying to find comfort in something. They had no money; they were stranded in enemy territory, and worst of all they probably would get arrested as soon as the Malkuths find out who he was. Events of seven years ago flashed in his mind's eye.

"_Mom! Father! Asch!"_

"_Hold the brat still! I can't get a decent reading on his stats."_

"_Help me. . ."_

"_Keep him quiet!"_

"_What's going to happen to me?"_

"_It appears we have the wrong boy. Well, he's better than nothing I suppose. Do it."_

He wasn't aware how pale he had gotten until Asch grabbed his shoulder tightly, snapping him out of his memories. "Luke, are you all right? It'll be okay. I'm here." He said lowly, concern lacing his words. No doubt that Luke was experiencing flashbacks of his kidnapping years ago. Hot guilt coursed through his chest, as Asch reminded them both that it was in the past. "They can't hurt you now."

Nodding, the redhead stiffly moved closer to his twin. "Asch. . . I'm scared. What if we can't get home?"

"Don't be such a Dreck." Asch snorted. "We will."

"Young Master Luke. . ." Guy trailed off, feeling awkward. He rarely spent any time with the Fabre boys, so offering console seemed so alien to him. It was almost unbearable, trying to be nice to them. It was a condition built for more than ten years- old habits die hard. The blonde sat in silence, warily watching the twins. From his prior knowledge, they should be arriving at Engeve at any given minute. Guy watched the window with feigned interest. Somewhere out there was his birthright waiting for him.

The coach slowly wheeled to a stop. This was it.

They were at Engeve.


	3. There's Just One Left Over

Sorry for the long wait. Some stupid kid from church borrowed my copy of Tales of Abyss. . . And I'm sad now. I'm going to mourn in a corner to soothe my loss. (Stupid little brat. . . Better not return my game all scratched.)

**Disclaimer**: I don't own ToA. I wish I did, but I don't.

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"So this is Engeve, huh? Kind of quiet. . ." Luke peered around the country-like setting with mild curiosity. "It looks boring." He finally decided with an air of solemnity. The young noble took in the various cottages and quaint setting with distaste. The mood here was exactly the same back at the manor: dull. Immediately, he wrote this place off as one of the least interesting towns in the world.

Beside him, Asch snorted. "You think everything's boring." The older twin casually strolled down the paved path- it was made out of dirt mind you- noting that there was an inn. "How much gald do we have?" He asked, shifting around his pockets for the money that the monsters dropped. The redhead had enough nature experience to last him for the rest of his life. All he wanted now was a bed, a hot shower, and a roof over his head tonight. And food would be nice too, if they could afford it.

"I don't know. Let me check. . ." Luke found a couple of gald. "It really depends on how much it is. All I have is this." He held out a fistful of money. "Maybe they'll feel sorry for us if we explain the situation to them."

Guy didn't say anything. He silently walked following the twins, faithfully three steps behind. He had his opinions, but didn't voice them aloud. Personally, he wanted to find an inn and relax. It didn't matter if they had to beg to get a free night- although once they were discovered to be Kimlascans, it would cause a ruckus. He again nearly laughed at the irony, and then sobered when he remembered why he was in his lowly position.

"We should take a look around town. There might be someone heading towards Kimlasca." Asch mused thoughtfully, knowing fully well that the food here was shipped all over the world. If they were lucky, they could find themselves back home. Suddenly, he was aware that Luke wasn't by his side anymore. In a moment of panic, he spotted the redhead in front of a vender. Relief flooded his body. "Don't wander around by yourself without telling me." Asch sharply chided, green eyes softening when Luke offered him an apple with a wide grin.

"These look good, don't they? Here Guy, have one too." Luke brightly said, tossing their servant a red fruit. Biting into the crispy fruit, Luke savored the sweet taste. Although the fruit paled in comparison to the gourmet he ate back home, this was probably the best apple he'd ever eaten in his life. "This is really good!"

Asch had to agree. Or maybe he was so hungry he didn't care.

As they walked along the town, they eventually saw a large crowd in front of a building. Asch exchanged inquiring looks with Luke before approaching the commotion with his brother who eagerly followed. If there was anything to be said about Luke fon Fabre, he just _had_ to know if something was up. "Stay close." Asch warned, grabbing Luke's collar just as the other boy was about to wriggle away into the crowd. Luke glowered at his sibling.

"I'm not seven you know." Luke stubbornly crossed his arms.

"Then act like it."

Touché.

"Nothing. . . Every scrap of food in the storehouse has been stolen."

"This has happened time and time again since those fires up north. You think maybe some deserters hiding out up there have started to come here looking for food?"

"Or it could be the work of the Dark Wings too."

Murmured whispers snaked through the group.

Dark Wings?

Missing Food?

Somehow Luke doubted it was those bandits. "Why would they steal food though? Besides, they're long gone by now. They crossed that bridge that just collapsed. No one's getting them arrested for sure." His mouth opened before his brain could think things through. Luke saw Asch's scowl darken from the corner of his eye. Instantly, all attention was focused on them.

"I thought I told you to be inconspicuous." Muttered Asch so that only Luke and Guy could hear him.

Whispering back, Luke replied, "No you didn't."

"Well, it must have slipped my mind." Asch growled sarcastically.

"Master Asch, Young Master Luke, I don't now is the appropriate time for this." Guy backed away from the scene quite nervously. The twins looked like on the verge of another verbal argument.

"You've seen the Dark Wings?" A woman exclaimed; the crowd of people parted for her. She was rather short on one side, so she had to tilt her head up to address Luke.

"We were driving by when they passed us. That's all." Luke quickly said, holding up his hands. "There was a military ship chasing them."

The woman pursed her lips together, hands at her hips. She seemed to be contemplating something. "You might want to see Rose. Maybe you can help."

Help? Wide eyed, Luke couldn't protest fast enough because the woman grabbed his arm and started to physically drag him away. Shooting frantic looks at his brother who looked too aggravated to help him, the young nobleman couldn't break her grasp. "W-where're you taking me? L-let go!" Luke had a sinking feeling that this was not going to end well for him. Protesting loudly, the young nobleman's limb still remained trapped.

"Aren't you going to follow him, Master Asch?" Guy asked. As amusing as the whole thing was, things were getting a little out of hand. "Master Asch?"

"Yes." Asch grounded out, stomping after his idiot of a brother. "And I'm going to make sure that he never opens that mouth of his again." All he wanted was a peaceful life; somehow he was dragged into this mess. It was his responsibility as the older brother to look out for his younger sibling. It was his responsibility to make sure that they safely reach home. It was his responsibility that no harm should ever befell the Fabre house's precious little boy- the same boy who single-handedly landed them in this predicament.

Sometimes he wanted to screw responsibility- like now.

Luke was literally thrown into the building. Apparently, he interrupted some sort of meeting, judging by the voices. Gathering his bearings, the boy rose to his feet and froze as soon as he saw who was in there. It couldn't be . . . of all his rotten luck!

"Rose! Someone else saw the Dark Wings. Maybe he can help." The woman said. "His name's. . . Err . . . what _is_ your name kid?"

Asch and Guy burst into the room, both mimicking Luke's initial reaction when they saw the room's occupants.

"Luke and Asch fon Fabre. . . It has been a while. Grown up much, have we?" A man dressed in a Malkuth military uniform smiled politely at the pale nobles, glasses shining in the light. His red eyes were nearly glowing with sadism. "Although I must say . . . what are you doing here of all places, one must wonder."

The woman, Kelly blinked. "You know them?"

"Colonel Jade Curtiss." Asch was the first to recover. "Fancy meeting you here." He spoke dryly, questioning himself whether to be relieved or to be very worried. Knowing Jade, it was a bit of both. It really depended on the mood that the colonel was in, which scared him given their current dilemma. Sometimes he couldn't believe his luck.

"Indeed." Jade adjusted his glasses. No need to be so formal Asch. After all, we have such _history_ together. Isn't that right boys?"

Luke scowled while Guy looked away with a sheepish smile. Apparently, they remembered all too well.

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------ Flashback ------

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The twins sighed together for the umpteenth time that hour. Stupid formal parties were so boring! Who cares if some important people from Malkuth were here? The twins were absolutely forbidden to make loud noise, disturb the guests, pull pranks, or do any of their tomfoolery making on per of their Uncle's orders. So, dressed neatly in their formal wear, black with silver trimmings for Asch and white with cream designs for Luke, the two miserably sat in a corner. It was quite impressive for a pair of seven year olds to sit still for that long.

Asch's scowl darkened by the second while Luke's enormous green eyes nervously glanced from the party to his brother. Even their normally spiky hair was slicked down and neatly combed to the side. "This is so boring. Let's go Luke." Asch stood up, face set in a determined frown. Before Luke could open his mouth to protest, he cut him off. "Father and Mother aren't here. They'll never find out." The elder Fabre heir jerked his head toward the sea of people.

Sure enough, their parents were nowhere in sight. Luke looked around and spotted a familiar blonde servant in a corner looking as bored as they were. "But what about Guy? He'll see us." Luke asked fearfully, shifting around. It was always Guy that spoiled their adventures. If he saw them sneak off, they'll be caught faster then they could say 'It wasn't our fault.'

"Who cares about him?" Asch scoffed. Apparently, the concept of getting in trouble didn't bother him as much as it did to Luke. His younger brother was too much of a baby, in his opinion. Very reluctantly, Luke followed his brother through the crowd. No one noticed two boys creep through the room. Not even Guy.

Giddy with success, they laughed together. They managed to sneak away all the way to the rose garden without a single guard spotting the resident mischief makers. "That was really boring! I didn't even want to go, but Father made us." Luke's lips turned down, loosening the restraining high collar of his suit. Already, the tie had been long discarded somewhere along the way. Asch had already ditched his jacket altogether, wearing only his navy dress shirt. "All the grown-ups are talking about boring stuff." Luke pouted because they spent the entire morning behaving themselves- which meant no playing or even talking above a whisper.

Nodding in agreement, Asch sat down on the grass. "Father said that this is supposed to be important because the Malkuths are supposed to be impressed by our 'transcendent' behavior." Luke sat down next to him. Although the two had no idea what 'transcendent' meant, it sounded really important; and they were as hell going to admit to the other that they didn't know what Father was talking about. "And Emperor Peony's supposed to be here, but I haven't seen him yet."

"You think Father lied about the Emperor?" Luke's babyish face twisted into a disappointed look.

At this, Asch held back his opinion. _Probably_, he wanted to say, but he his seven-year-old wisdom told him to hold his tongue. "I don't care." He finally replied, voice haughty. "He's probably boring too."

Luke agreed. Of course, Asch was always right. They sat hidden behind the rose bushes, knees drawn up and little faces puckered into delicate frowns at the unfairness of their entire afternoon. It was _ruined_ because their parents just had to have a stupid party only for adults. And as princess, Natalia was stuck by her father's side for formality's sake so they couldn't talk to her either. "Asch. . . I'm bored." He said after a minute of silence.

Of course they were bored. They couldn't run or play anywhere. "Me too." Asch replied, his little mouth set in a firm line. Suddenly he heard voices- adult ones- coming from the other side of the rose garden. They weren't familiar, so he reasoned that they were probably guests from Malkuth. Motioning for Luke to remain quiet, he crept forward so that he could hear better. His brother crawled after him, looking worried. _Probably wants to say if it's all right or something_. Asch thought, reading Luke's emotions from the wide-eyed look he was giving him.

"You do know that's considered treason against the crown. Well, now that I've informed you, my duties as a former friend have been fulfilled. Now, shall I arrest you now or in front of the crowd later?"

"Jade! That's _not_ what I meant!"

"Oh really? From your plans, it sounded awfully like you were going to break dozens of laws regarding fomicry. I guess at my old age, hearing is the first to go."

"Ohhh! Why is that whenever I talk to you, I feel so frustrated! This is going in my revenge journal!"

Treason?

Breaking laws?

Staring back at each other, the twins' mouths were agape. From what they've heard, treason was really, really, _really_ bad. And breaking laws was just as worse. They've just discovered two dangerous men about to attack Baticul under the guise as party guests! Luke whispered into Asch's ear, "Uncle said treason's punishable by death. That means what they're going to do is super bad! What do we do?" His face scrunched up with worry, fear clearly outlining the panic flashing in his green eyes.

"We have to stop them. For the sake of Kimlasca!" Asch declared with the air of a future king. "We have to protect the people here!"

"But how?" Luke was pretty sure that two seven-year-old couldn't beat two grown-ups. "What if they know how to cast Fonic Artes like Master Van?"

Asch paused. That was true. "That can't stop us. As heirs of House Fabre, we have to save everyone! We have to be heroes." Scooping a handful of mud, seeing that the ground was wet, Luke mimicked his brother. "On the count of three, follow my lead. Just keep on throwing until help arrives."

The younger twin nodded solemnly. This was serious business! It wasn't a game anymore. Everyone was counting on them, so he couldn't start crying now. Not aware that his clothes were now dirt streaked, Luke held a glob of mud in his hands.

"Ready. . . Now!" With all his strength, Luke hurled his ammo at the two men. As soon as the mudball left his hands, Luke reached for another handful. Beside him, Asch was doing the same.

Jade Curtiss was having the most boring day of his life when he saw a familiar face in the- ironically- rose gardens. Well, the Necromancer liked to catch up on old times (to keep a careful eye on the ever-so-plotting Dist) and followed him out. Three seconds later, the sad excuse for a man babbled about his ingenious plans for making human replicas. And as a good law-abiding soldier of Malkuth, it was his duty to arrest the law-breakers. He never expected to be assaulted at the Duke's house though. Luckily, his sharp reflexes grabbed Dist and used the other man as a shield.

Unfortunately, the said so shield was pelted in the face.

Jade looked around for the source of the attack, quickly spotting two redhead hiding behind a bush, and throwing more mud. "Well, well. . . what do we have here?" He dodged and brought Dist as a shield once more. "Two mudmen in the Duke's gardens. I do suppose I'll have to inform his majesty of the intrusion."

Poor Dist was spluttering out dirt. "Grr! You brats! Do you know who I am? Once I get my hands on you. . . I'm Dist the Rose!"

One of the brats paused before sneering, "Whatever Mr. Runny!" and pelted him again.

Raising a fine eyebrow, Jade was starting to like these boys. Since he was THE Jade Curtiss, he managed to remain mud-free (the same could not be said for Dist) until the Fabre's blonde servant came running out, after no doubt noticing that his charges were gone and along with the Duke, his wife, the King, and Emperor Peony, also the entire fleet of guards that accompanied them. "Well, well. The Calvary has arrived." He dryly mused, wiping the smirk off his face and feigned indifference.

The twin's parents were more than furious as the two boys unsuccessfully tried explaining- "But Father! They're treasonists!"- the Duke had one of the redheads by the arm and the other by the collar of his collar. This spectacle drew the attention of the guests who crowded outside to see what the fuss was about. By now, Asch and Luke had a good tongue-lashing from both parents and it looked like after everyone left, it would continue.

Colonel Jade Curtiss decided that he never had so much fun at a stuffy party before. "Next time, do remember to invite me again your majesty." He said in a low voice to Peony with a sly smile snaking about his features. The Emperor of Malkuth facefaulted at this.

---------

------ End Flashback ------

---------

"Yeah. Imagine our surprise when you showed up for our next birthday party." Luke dryly remarked, breaking the tense silence with an uneasy grin. "Somehow 'Surprise' really didn't cut it." The raised eyebrow from Jade made him sheepishly rub the back of his neck. It was obvious that Jade wanted to know how the Duke's sons were in Engeve of all places, and unaccompanied by their usual fleet of guards. "Ah. . . we got in a bit of trouble."

"That's to be expected." Jade smoothly cut in, earning a dark scowl from Asch.

"And we ended up here by accident. I suppose all of Kimlasca is on the lookout for us. Do you mind giving us a ride back to Baticul?" Luke asked Jade, acting as the diplomat between the older man and his brother. Somehow, he found it ridiculously funny that whenever Jade was involved, he and Asch switched positions- he became the voice of reason while Asch sulked sullenly in a corner. "And if possible, can you send a message on ahead to Father and the King that we're all right?" After a second of insight, he added, "And who's the kid over there?"

Jade smiled smugly. "Of course. And how rude of me, this is Fon Master Ion."

The reaction from the twins was to be expected. Wide-eyed, the two exchanged looks. "Fon Master Ion? I thought you were missing. Daath is in an uproar right now, looking for you." Asch spoke up; mind working over the fact that Van of all people didn't know where the Fon Master disappeared to, but here Ion was, in the escort of what appeared to be the Malkuth army. Someone wasn't telling the whole truth here, because things weren't adding up. He supposed that it was sort of a mystery why he and Luke weren't introduced to the Fon Master sooner. Up until this point, he had never seen the Fon Master's face before.

"Hello." Ion said, smiling politely at the two redheads. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"You're Fon Master Ion?" It was hard not for Luke to stare at the kid before him. Score knows how old he was- what, twelve? Fourteen? "Uh. . . Nice to meet you too Fon Master." He stammered when he found a million questions bubbling in his mind but forced them away for a later date. Now was not the time for that. Right now, he needed to find a way home and the Fon Master looked like their meal ticket for a free ride back to their capital.

Ion nodded. Turning to Jade diplomatically, he said, "Perhaps they can help us."

"Perhaps. . ." Jade mused, entertaining himself with that thought. "Their presence can greatly help our cause; as well as alleviate some of the complications we might have crossing the border." Then, he added with good humor, "Of course getting the sons of Duke Fabre home is our greatest concern." He enjoyed the shared sour look between the twins.

"Matters aside, what's the commotion about stolen food?" Asch finally spoke up, pointedly ignoring Jade's prior barbed remark. "This is Engeve; no one needs to seal for a meal here."

Rose and Kelly perked up at the sudden change of topic. "Yes, but lately someone has been breaking into our storage rooms and carrying off everything edible!" Kelly explained, frustration clearly etched on her face. "I'm sure it's those Dark Wings!"

"Well, like I said. . . you aren't going to catch them anytime soon. The bridge collapsed and they got away." Luke knew that those bandits wouldn't waste their time robbing these people of food.

"I agree with Young Master Luke." Guy stepped back so he was leaning against the wall casually, arms crossed over his chest.

The Fon Master reached for something in his pocket, handing a patch of fur to Rose. "I was a bit curious, so I investigated the storehouse. I found this in the corner of the room."

The woman held it closely to her eyes. "This is fur from a sacred Cheagle."

"So a Cheagle stole all your food! Huh, I wonder why though." Luke stuck his hands in his pocket, feeling slightly better that his initial guess was correct. "I mean, they haven't been snitching your food until now."

"Yes, that's interesting." Asch dismissed Luke's statement and looked to Jade. "I'm assuming we leave first thing tomorrow? Then we're staying at the inn- give us a rain check until we reach Baticul." The redhead left the room, not waiting for Luke or Guy to follow. He assumed that those two would jump at the first chance for civilization.

Guy frowned before following his master, looking over his shoulder once to see if Luke was going to come. Receiving a wordless command for Guy to leave without him, Luke waved the blonde out the door. Well, it was his loss. Guy knew that Luke saw the inn on their way into Engeve and wouldn't have any trouble finding it later. If the noble wanted to stay and chat with the Malkuth military man and the Fon master, it was fine with him.

------

------

Luke walked into their hotel room with a yawn, stopping halfway when he saw Asch's glare. "What?" He complained, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it onto his bed. "I just stayed behind to talk to the Fon Master about the Cheagles, that's all."

"Luke! Fon Master Ion's with the Malkuth army!" Asch pointed out, voice tersely rising.

"Yeah, so? We've known Jade since like we were what? Six?" The younger twin kicked off his boots and headed to the bathroom. His voice echoed slightly from the other room. "Besides, we're technically at peace with them now. And Jade wouldn't hurt us."

"He would if his job ordered him to!"

"Don't be so paranoid." Running water could be heard from the tub. "Jade wouldn't be that crass and betray us. You could expect that from Dist though. . ."

Asch made a frustrated sound before giving up. Sometimes Luke was too trusting for his own good. Pulling the covers over his head, the redhead closed his eyes. As weary his body was, his mind kept on nagging over unnecessary thoughts: like why the Fon Master was here, and how did Luke, Guy, and he end up halfway across the world? And Master Van. . . He seemed to know the girl assassin. Things were getting too confusing! Rolling over, Asch tried to find a comfortable position but his mind wouldn't let him sleep. He heard Luke splash around in the bathtub. If only he stayed in bed yesterday, none of this would be happening. Or perhaps Luke would be running alone like a headless chicken with that strange girl.

He suppressed a shudder.

No second thoughts to the degree of chaos Luke would get into.

Minutes later, he heard Luke walk out of the bathroom. The bed next to his creaked, and Luke seemed to be writing in a journal. Just where he managed to procure one, Asch didn't know but the other boy was faithfully writing today's events. Turning his head, Asch pretended to be sleeping so that he could watch Luke scribble into a small book with a pen. The younger twin's normally spiky hair was limp and wet, and there were weary lines on his face. After a while, Luke finished and reached over so that he could turn off the lights. In the darkness, Asch heard Luke mumble, "Night Asch. . ."

Asch didn't say anything. When he was sure Luke was sleeping, he said, "Good night Luke."

His mood felt _slightly_ better, allowing his mind to finally rest. The next morning, he found himself alone and Luke's bed was empty. There was a folded note by his bed.

_Asch,_

_Don't get too mad at me, but I just had to go with Fon Master Ion to Cheagle Forest. I mean, I can't let the Fon Master go by himself! I'll be back soon. Try to keep Jade distracted. We can't do anything if he finds us. And watch out for this Anise girl. (She's the Fon Master Guardian)_

_Luke_


	4. In One Single Sunny Spot

It's been like forever since I last updated this thing. . . Hahaha. Sorry, I've been really busy- college, studying, and a billion other things that put this story on hold for a while. I know it's not a good excuse but it's all I have. LoL. I'll try to update this, but it's going to be slow.

**Disclaimer**: If I owned it, then would I be writing fanfiction about it?

"I'll kill him." Asch growled for the hundredth time that morning, eyes dangerously flashing. His temper was extremely foul; the noble blew up at the slightest possible reason. "I'll make sure that he never walks again. I'll chain him to the manor once we get home. He will suffer for this. I'll make sure of that. What is he thinking? Running off like that? Can't he show a little bit of restraint? With the Fon Master none the less! Does he even know the trouble he's in?"

Everyone let Asch seethe by himself. It was for the best that Asch got this out of his system before they actually found Luke or else Asch might actually carry out his threats. Even Jade kept his mouth shut, keeping his sarcasm to himself. Guy silently endured the redhead's ranting with a solemn frown, looking straight ahead into the horizon. Only Anise interrupted Asch's angry soliloquy time to time with questions ("So. . . Your brother. . . he's going to be the Duke one day, right?").

"And if he gets hurt, who gets blamed? I'm going to kill him!"

Jade wryly said, "Yes. You've well established that fact. Perhaps you might also wish to add exactly how we might find him so that you may administer his torture- I mean punishment?"

"Don't encourage him." Guy deadpanned. Jade was smiling too happily for his comfort, while Asch was on the opposite spectrum. Somehow he and Anise worked out to be buffers- the blonde glanced at the girl.

She was ogling at Asch.

No, scratch that- he was the only sane one here. He tried not to wince when Asch single-handedly took down a swarm of monsters, finishing everything off with a very heated Explosion. Oh man, was Asch ever in a foul mood. . .

"But it's rather touching to see such an emotional display of brotherly love." Jade's sarcasm dripped from each word. The colonel watched the redhead storm into the general direction of Cheagle Woods, woe to whatever got in his way. The noble was carving a path out; why not sit back and let him do all the nasty work for them? "Sibling affection. . . sometimes I wish I had some when I was growing up."

Guy couldn't come up with a reply. Carrying on a conversation with Jade Curtis was impossible, he decided. The swordsman trudged ahead, trying to keep up with Asch's breakneck pace which was speeding up by the minute. His life was really screwed up. Someone up there must've really hated him in his past life because he was paying for it now.

-----

-----

"Hyya!" Luke finished the last of the monsters with a flying leap, landing on his feet and while expertly sheathing his sword. He grinned at Ion while dusting his hands. "That's the last of them." The young noble hadn't felt this great since ages! No bossy Asch or stalking Guy in sight! Best of all, he felt like he was actually being useful to somebody, even if it was only a kid. "Are you feeling okay Ion? We could take a break if you want." Luke said, concern lacing his tone. True enough, the Fon Master was pale.

Shaking his head, Ion reassured Luke. "I'm fine. There's no need to worry." The boy straightened himself and moved ahead.

Luke frowned. No need to worry? "Hey. . . there's no need to rush things. I'm supposed to protect you, remember? If you fall over because you pushed yourself too hard, that'll just make me look bad." Said Luke in a low voice, worry reflecting in his green eyes. "Let's rest for a while." He adamantly suggested, his tone clearly said he wasn't taking excuses. "Apple Gel?" The redhead offered Ion who gratefully accepted.

The young noble took the time to study the Fon Master. The kid was pallid- obviously cooped inside because of his poor physical condition. Obviously his mana levels were shockingly high: he was the Fon Master after all. But to tell you the truth, Luke first mistook Ion for a girl. The boy _was_ wearing something that was highly questionable and had long bangs. Well, he shouldn't be talking about long hair, but still. No one ever mistook him for a girl. Ion was a pushover, probably a complex that sprung up from his position at Daath. Truth be told, they were as different as night and day: Ion was short, weak, and too nice- Luke was tall, strong, and sometimes a bit demanding at times.

"Luke?" Ion questioned politely, turning to the other with a soft smile.

"Yeah?"

"Ah, I would like to thank you for accompanying me."

Luke shrugged. "No problem. It's not like I had anything better to do."

Ion looked thoughtful. "You haven't had the chance to be outside much, haven't you?" He finally asked, the sudden question catching Luke off guard.

The redhead nodded slowly. "Not since I was ten. . . After when I was kidnapped. . ." He quickly became silent; obviously embarrassed that he let that slip by. For a moment, he let the awkward silence grow in the air before clearing his throat. "So. . . The Cheagles. . . Are they close by? I mean, they're kind of hard to spot. How are we going to catch one?"

"Well, their nest is nearby. They live in groups, and they have a village elder who's responsible for the wellbeing of everyone." Ion responded, whether or not he noticed the quick change in topics or not he didn't mention it. The Fon Master began to cheerfully explain to Luke about Cheagles.

Luke half listened while keeping up the appearance of paying apt attention (a skill he learned while listening to his tutors). Inwardly, he was wondering what Asch would do to him once his brother discovered his note and empty bed. Probably raise hell and chase after him with a sword. Assuming that Asch could remain level-headed enough to get prepared. Out of the two, Asch was notorious for his foul temper and quick tongue. Luke liked to think of himself as 'kindhearted' and 'sweet' but his brother had other words in mind like: 'brat' and 'baby'. "Hmm. . . That's interesting. I never knew that." He said every once in a while, absentmindedly walking in the general direction of the Cheagle's nest.

Ion giggled softly. "Luke, you aren't paying attention are you?" His eyes were bright and shining with amusement. "I asked if you've ever seen a Cheagle before. They're very important to the Order of Lorelei."

Caught red-handed, Luke guiltily grinned back. "Sorry. . . I was just thinking. . . about stuff." He sheepishly scratched his nose, trying not to look too embarrassed. "And I haven't seen a Cheagle before, in real life I mean. Being in the manor doesn't really give anyone a chance to see the outside world." He sounded slightly bitter towards the end, but managed to shrug it off as nonchalance. He used to be able to run outside whenever he wanted, go down to the lower levels of Baticul- it made his 'imprisonment' all the more difficult because he once knew what freedom tasted like.

It was probably harder for Asch.

Luke's insides did an uncomfortable twist. It was his mostly his fault. If only he hadn't been kidnapped. . .

They were walking along a wooded path, enjoying the streams of sunlight filtering through the forest canopy. So far, other than the monsters that attacked them before, nothing else was bothering them. With only Luke as a suitable fighter, it seemed more of a blessing (but he really wanted some action!). Time to time, Luke thought he saw something in the bushes, but he passed it off as part of his imagination. _Maybe it's a Cheagle. . ._ he thought humorlessly, readying his sword just in case though. _Knowing my luck. . ._ Luke didn't have the time to sigh before a monster charged out, with all intent to kill them both. "It's always a monster!" He yelled as he swung his sword out.

The young noble quickly glanced around his surroundings; what started out to be a single monster quickly led to a mob. If only he had some backup. . . Having Asch here might not have been such a bad idea. But then, no doubt that the older twin would painfully disembowel him afterwards- maybe it was a good thing he wasn't here then. "Fang Blade!" Luke yelled over the battle, hitting the target right between the eyes. "Havoc Strike!" He attacked again, leaping into the air.

This really wasn't good. He was running low on TP, and he used up all the Orange Gels already. Luke panted heavily as he surveyed the remaining monsters left. He really wished that there was a fonist nearby for backup. Perhaps running off without his brother really wasn't such a good idea. . .

Green eyes widened when a monster leapt at him, claws bared and ready to kill him. A gasp escaped his lips as he realized that he wasn't going to be able to defend himself in time. A shadow loomed over his figure.

----

---

"Is there something wrong?" Guy asked Asch when the redhead suddenly paused and looked grim- a terse frown on his face.

Asch had a bad feeling settling in the bottom of his stomach. A while before they entered the woods, they had decided to split up as a group to cover more ground. He and Guy went their way while Jade and Anise ("But Asch, don't you need someone to protect you?") took off the other direction. "Yeah. . . Let's hurry." He offered no further explanation as he picked up a breakneck pace.

If knowing his twin at all, that stupid moron probably got himself in some horrible mess by now; which is precisely why he was running to where he thought his idiotic brother was.

---

---

Luke closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable pain.

It didn't come.

_Huh?_ Luke blinked in confusion. _What the. . . T-the Fon Master!_ He gaped at the rather fragile young boy who was. . . err, kicking ass to say. Around the Fon Master, glowing Fonic symbols incinerated all the enemies within the vicinity. For a brief moment, Luke forgot that the other boy was so fragile and girly looking. Right now, he looked dangerous and ready to fight. _And just why the hell couldn't he have done this earlier?_ Luke thought, his mind still in disbelief at what he was seeing. "Fon Master Ion. ." There was a good reason why Ion was the Fon Master after all.

Suddenly Ion's form began to sway back and forth.

"Fon Master!" Luke dashed forward, catching the other boy just before he fell. "Hey, are you all right?"

"Luke!" A familiar voice made the young noble turn around.

Half of him was relieved while the other half was slightly apprehensive. "Asch! And Guy too!" He said, still holding Ion in his arms.

"You!" Asch's voice dropped to a low growl, the older twin's face twisting into a dark scowl now that he knew his brother was safe. "You stupid, idiotic, moronic, Dreck! Do you know how much trouble you've put me through? Just _wait_ until we get back to the manor." The particular emphasis on that word just sent chills up Luke's spine. "Fon Master, are you all right?" He asked the pale boy, fixing his heated glare elsewhere for now.

Ion nodded, attempting to get up. "I-I'm fine. . . It's just that I must have used too strong a Daathic Fonic Art." The boy slowly rose to his feet, dusting his clothes. Light green eyes warmly greeted the newcomers, recognition flickering within those depths. "Ah, you must be Asch; Luke's brother." It wasn't hard for anyone to tell- they were twins after all. But turning to Guy, he cocked his head to the side. "And you are?"

The blonde bowed his head humbly. "I'm Guy Cecile, a servant of the Fabre household."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance." Ion said.

Meanwhile, Asch was glowering at a sheepish Luke- with all intent to murder. "This has got to be one of the most reckless stunts you've ever pulled! How about using your head for once?" He couldn't believe that Luke was even related to him sometimes; his heart stopped beating at irregular intervals and he was able to breathe steadily now. "But somehow I doubt there's anything useful in there anymore."

"Hey!" Luke shot back, managing to pout at the same time. "I left a note, didn't I?"

"A note. . ." His twin ground out between tightly clenched teeth. Before Asch could implode, a Cheagle popped out of nowhere.

It stared at the group of humans, blinked, and ran off into the bushes.

Silence.

Luke was the first to react. "You! Come back here!" He leapt after the creature, leaving everyone behind. Namely, leaving Asch behind.

The same aforementioned noble was desperately trying to reign in his temper before it exploded; which wasn't working out very well least to say. There was a dangerous atmosphere brewing around the redhead, even making the Fon Master wary enough to simply smile weakly in response (instead of actually attempting to reason with him).

It was Guy who finally cajoled the furious boy into chasing after Luke. "Master Asch, perhaps it's for the best if we follow Young Master Luke." He didn't need to add, _Or he might end up in more trouble._

"Yes. And when we catch up, we can make sure that Dreck can never be able to use his legs ever again."

Leaving Asch to 'quietly' fume by himself, Guy turned to the Fon Master. "Is there a reason to why you are pursuing the Cheagles?" He asked, curiosity coloring his tone. The blonde kept at a slower pace with Ion instead of keeping up with Asch (who also disappeared on ahead). He'd preferred to have Asch deal with all the monsters in the forest.

"The Cheagles are sacred creatures. If they're harming people, they must have some reason for it. As one who is connected to the Cheagles, I cannot sit idly by and watch." Ion said promptly, steady determination filling his light green eyes. Guy had to hand it to the boy- he was definitely starting to respect the Fon Master; the kid was growing on him.

"Ah. I see. If we find the Cheagles, you can learn what's going on." He said, understanding flickering within his blue eyes.

They had come across a clearing with a large tree in the middle. Luke had his back to the group, but there was no doubt the awe in his face. It was so peaceful here, like they'd stepped into another world found only in dreams- or at least found only in fantasy books. The million shades of greens blended into the soft emerald hue of the woods while tendrils of golden sunlight streamed through the canopy- the flowing of water filled between the gaps of the forest sounds.

There was nothing that could describe the almost magical scene.

"W-wow. . ." Luke whispered softly. "I guess their nest must be in there, huh? Let's go in." He pointed at a hole that he assumed that it was an entrance. It was just big enough for them to squeeze through. The young noble darted in without waiting for anyone to respond.

"You're so hopeless." Asch said while going after and leaving the other two behind.

Guy and Ion exchanged looks. With a polite bow of his head, the blonde offered the Fon Master to go before him. "After you, Fon Master."

"Thank you Guy." Ion responded politely, not having to duck through the entrance like the other three boys. His light green eyes took a second to adjust to the dim lighting in the Cheagles' den. About thirty small creatures huddled around the corner, clearly upset that humans intruded upon their home. They were colored differently, their fur ranging from pink to light green. Ion hid a slight smile; sacred creature they were, but also very cute and cuddly looking in his opinion.

Not too far ahead were the Kimlascian twins standing before an old looking Cheagle- if there were any guessing to be done, it was probably the Elder of this particular pack. Luke noticed Ion and Guy standing from the entrance and pointed excitedly at the Cheagle. "Look! It can talk!" He sounded excited, never seen a monster with the ability to speak the human language. "I wonder how though . . . Isn't it cool?"

With a roll of his eyes Asch quietly muttered under his breath, "Honestly you're just like a child sometimes."

"It is the power of the ring we were granted as part of our pact with Yulia. Are you of relation to Yulia?" The Cheagle Elder spoke, clearly addressing Ion. Both redheads and Guy respectfully stood to the side, allowing the Fon Master to walk up to the Cheagle Elder.

"Yes. I'm Ion, Fon Master of the Order of Lorelei. Am I correct in assuming that you're the Cheagle elder?" Ion bent down so that he was able to speak to the Cheagle better. His voice sounded so authoritative that Luke was having a difficult time making a connection to this Ion to the Fon Master he was supposedly 'protecting' a few minutes ago. So maybe he wasn't a total pushover after all. . .

The Elder Cheagle paused before answering slowly. "Yes. That would be so."

Luke was deep in thought. At first when the village was making such a big commotion about the stolen food, he'd assumed for the worst: big scary monsters with insatiable appetites attacking the storehouses but when he found out that they were just Cheagles he had an inkling suspicion that something more was going on. "You guys were the ones who stole food from Engeve, right?"

"I see now. So you've come to exterminate us." The Cheagle Elder sadly said.

A brief look of surprise flashed across Luke's face. "No. . . That's not it. There must be a reason why you would just take stuff."

Ion asked, "Cheagles are herbivores. Why do you need to steal human food?" The question that started this entire trip to the woods. Truth be told, it was Luke who had brought this up the day before. The Fon Master was impressed with the level of insight the young noble had.

A pause.

Slowly, begrudgingly admitting their problems to strangers, ". . . To preserve the Cheagle tribe." The Cheagle Elder said, letting the last words fall heavily around the cave.

Asch and Guy carefully hid their reactions by remaining stony faced, but Luke was much more expressive ("What?! Why?! Can we do anything to help?). Ion silently contemplated the Cheagle Elder's answer, letting various emotions flash within his light green eyes.

It was Guy who finally spoke up. "It doesn't seem that you lack food. I can see plenty of vegetation around here. There's no need to go to a human's village." He said with his usual logic, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. "Unless . . . I've noticed an abnormal number of Monsters while in the forest. Perhaps that might be the reason."

"Yeah, now that you think of it. . ." Luke scrunched up his face, making a connection. "Isn't that weird Asch?"

Dourly, the redhead answered, "Score knows you've experienced it first-hand." Then he addressed the Cheagle Elder directly, "I'm assuming that somehow you know the cause for all this. Tell us, now."

"Asch! Don't be so mean."

"Not now Luke."

A glower played on Luke's lips. "Mother says to be nicer to people."

"Cheagles are not people." Asch distractedly replied, not really paying attention to what his brother was saying; there were more important matters at hand. He was getting impatient. "Fon Master. . . This may directly involve the people of Engeve."

Ion nodded. "Yes, Asch is indeed correct. If you may. . ." He addressed the Cheagle Elder politely and in a much kinder tone than Asch's.

"One of our members caused a fire in the northern region. As a result, the Ligers that lived there moved down to this forest. . . In order to prey on us."

"Then, the reason you stole the food was so your people wouldn't be eaten." The Fon Master realized, eyes widening. As much as he feared. If things continued as they were, these Cheagles wouldn't be the only victims. As soon as the food ran out, those Ligers would seek other means of meals- namely the villagers of Engeve. From the alarmed looks on the other's faces, they've come to the same conclusion.

"Correct. If they aren't sent food periodically, we Cheagles are captured and eaten."

"We have to do something!" Luke exclaimed. "Not only for the Cheagles but for Engeve. Food from there's shipped everywhere in the world, even to Kimlasca!"

Asch frowned. Already, he could see where this was going. Just when was their crazy trip going to end? "We need to negotiate with the Ligers. . ." He said distastefully, not liking how it sounded coming out of his mouth. "Most likely we need to kill the queen. Ligers aren't known for their diplomacy. They're senseless Monsters after all."

But Guy brought up another good point. "We can't communicate with the Ligers. How will we set about accomplishing this?" The blonde was quick to point out a flaw in Asch's plan. The day was just one escapade after another; he wondered if there ever was going to be back at Baticul where Luke was kept inside, away from these types of crazy adventures. Not likely, at the rate they were heading, he thought morosely.

"We can't talk to them directly, but if we take one of the Cheagles with us as a translator. . ." trailed off Ion. Really he wasn't the type to involve others (including Cheagles) but even he couldn't even think of a way to talk to the Ligers without help.

"Then, I shall lend this sorcerer's ring to the one who will be your interpreter. Mieu, mieu, mieu, mieuuu."

Within seconds, a blue Cheagle bounded out of nowhere. It nearly tripped over in its eagerness, which Luke found it kind of funny. Later, he'd realized that the little thing could spit out fire (which burned down a whole forest) and he had a hard time from grinning like a manic (quoted by Asch).

"This child is the one who caused the fire in the north. I want you to take him with you." The Cheagle Elder took off the Sorcerer's Ring and handed it to the blue Cheagle.

At first, the small creature curiously inspected it, even hitting its head against the ring. When the ring was secure around it's belly, it blinked its adorable eyes and tested out the ring's power. "My name's Mieu. Pleased to meet you!" Mieu was practically bouncing with excitement.

Asch felt an in coming migraine forming in the near future. "Something about this. . . Thing is really annoying."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Mieu apologized, his shrill pitch reaching an octave higher. Luke picked up the blue Cheagle and inspected at eye level.

"Aw, come on! Don't be so mean to the little guy. Look at him!" The younger twin teased, practically shoving Mieu into Asch's face; he turned away from them. "Isn't he just adorable? Somewhere in your ice-cold heart, something must've melted right?" Luke wheedled lightly, green eyes twinkling with amusement. It was just so hilarious to see Asch's scowl darken and see him sulk- he pleasantly forgot about the near murderous aura hovering over his brother like some death shadow.

"We've got pressing matters to attend to." Asch briefly wondered if the Score was too cruel in allowing Luke to be his _twin_. "Let's hurry. Fon Master, after you."

They left the Cheagle den and started walking again to the Ligers. In between, Luke discovered- much to his delight and much to Asch's dismay- that Mieu could breathe streams of fire. (Luke: "Do you know what I can do with Mieu back home? Think of the possibilities!") Although he wasn't serious about his ideas, it was still fun to mess with Asch. Sometimes his brother was too high-strung for his own good. It used to be all fun and games back then, but now if Luke even _thought_ about breaking the rules. . . The redhead sighed depressingly.

"Mieu? What's wrong?" Mieu floated along (a power from the Sorcerer's Ring?) Luke's head, innocently batting his eyes.

"Ah, nothing! Say. . . Cheagles are herbivores, right? What do you guys eat?" He tactically changed topics with ease, Mieu completely oblivious chirped a happy reply. As well as it might've worked with the blue monster, it didn't with his brother. Asch shot Luke a look, but thankfully he didn't press matters and let it go, no doubt to bring it up again when he himself forgot all about it at a later date. Inwardly, the young noble fidgeted uncomfortably but to everyone else he remained as cheery as ever, save for his twin.

Before they knew it, the small group stood in front of the Liger's den. Luke and Asch led the way, followed closely by Ion and Guy. Cautiously they went in, ready to draw their weapons out at any warning. Sure they were here to negotiate, but they didn't want be eaten either. Luke's green eyes widened at the sight of the biggest monster he ever saw. "That must be the queen. . ." He whispered, instinctively reaching for his sword. "She's huge!" No one quipped on his comment about the inevitable 'never- call- a- woman- fat' rule.

Asch swallowed once, trying to fight down a wave of panic. Sure, he knew that Liger Queens grew larger than most monsters but this was beyond his expectations. Breathing in once, he regain control of his emotions- turning to Ion, he nodded stiffly.

"Mieu, please go talk with the Liger Queen." Ion's soft voice was firm and showed no sign of fear. The same could not be said for the adorable little creature, who was shaking as he approached the monster that could've used him as a breath mint. From where he was, Luke felt sorry for Mieu.

"Mieu, mieu, mieu, mieu. . . ."

Before Mieu could continue, the Liger Queen got up and roared at them- the entire cavern shook and poor Mieu fell over. Luke was afraid that it would start a cave-in and they'd be trapped with the Liger Queen for lunch. He suppressed a shudder. Not exactly a meal he planned to stick around for very long if his sword had anything to say about it. If things got to be that hairy, she could have a taste of his Fang Blade- negotiations be damned!

Ion exclaimed, "Are you all right?"

"What did she say?" Asch demanded, thoughts running eerily similar to his brother's. His hand automatically reached for his sword at his side, as Guy quickly fell into a defensive stance behind him. Already, his mind was categorizing possible strategies to attack the Liger Queen with. With dismay, he realized that Luke was standing too far away from their group and was probably the first thing the monster would attack. Mentally he prayed to any deity listening to spare his idiotic brother from another horrible death today. Tomorrow could wait.

In a trembling voice, Mieu said, "S-she says her eggs are just about to hatch so go away." His answer made Asch curse inwardly as well as made all the color drain out of Luke's face. Guy and Ion remained stony-faced, taking in the grim news silently. Adding, the little blue creature gulped, "Her highness is really mad that I accidentally burned their home."

"As she should be!" Asch bit out, feeling the eye of the storm to speak. From what things looked like from here, they were going to fight an angry overprotective Liger _mother_ for her eggs. If you'd thought _his_ mother was overprotective of her 'precious baby boys'. . . The young noble ignored Luke's protests of leaving poor Mieu out of this and focused on the matter at hand. "Luke! Get back! Ligers get more violent when they're guarding their eggs."

Much to his mounting stress, that _dreck_ had the nerve to snap back at him! His older brother who was just trying to keep him alive long enough so that once within the confines of their manor, he could _kill_ him for making him age thirty years in a single day. "So what? We just come back later?" Luke's sarcasm couldn't be thicker. "I'm sure if we give them enough time, the eggs will_ hatch_ and we can deal with the little monsters attacking the village. _Great_ idea bro."

"Master Asch. . . Young Master Luke? Perhaps we should concentrate on the Liger Queen and . . ." Guy tried his best to stop a civil war breaking out within his ranks but sadly he was overruled by mirrored green glares. "Or not." He muttered discreetly under his breath, rolling his own eyes. Honestly, if he were to die here because two bickering _children_ couldn't pay attention to the enemy and would rather fight with each other, Score wouldn't be surprised if he went to dig himself his own grave, preferable _away_ from the said so _children_.

Before the two Kimlascan twins could attack each other, Ion being the pacifist he was hurriedly asked Mieu, "Could you ask them to leave this land?"

"I'll try. . . Mieu, Mieu. . . Mieu. . ."

The effect was the Liger Queen roaring again, but this time the tremors throughout the cavern actually shook some overhead boulders loose. Much as they feared, the rocks began to fall down.

"Watch out!" Asch shouted, his body moving of his own accord. Swinging his sword, he cut through the huge boulder that was about to fall on Mieu (and on the Fon Master he'd later protest). Looking down, he snarled, "Get out of they way!"

Mieu squeaked a thank you and scuttled to the safety of Luke's arms. "S-she says she's going to kill us and feed us to her children!" Mieu's shrill voice reached another octave higher as fear overtook his small body. Luke hurriedly tucked Mieu into one of his pockets.

Great.

Just their rotten luck.

Luke wondered if his life's Score was out to get him or something as the Liger Queen loomed closer and closer.

"Careful! Here she comes!" Guy's warning started the battle.

"Fang Blade!" Both redheads yelled at the same time, attacking simultaneously. "Havoc Strike!" Their moved mirrored each other perfectly, hitting their intended targets. If Guy wasn't too busy fighting for his life, he'd be staring at the eerily same movements between the two. Luke snuck behind the Liger while Asch distracted it by casting a Fonic Arte and launched a barrage of combos.

Deciding that he couldn't let Asch take _all_ the credit, he quickly darted in between the Liger's claws and swiftly used a Crescent Strike. The Liger Queen recoiled back, roaring in pain. Guy had little time to back away before Asch's Stalagmite nearly got him too. Shooting a dark look at the redhead, he scowled. Perhaps _after_ the battle, he could 'teach' Asch the difference between enemies and allies. To the side, Ion was watching the battle with a worried look on his face.

"Guy, behind you!" The young boy called out, probably saving the blonde's life.

He narrowly missed being slashed by the monster's claws because Luke blocked the attack for him. Ion's warning caught Luke's attention just in time. Grinning widely, the young nobleman said, "C'mon Guy! And here I thought Asch spaced out. . ." Luke didn't see the surprised look on his servant's face because he jumped into the fray again. "Take this! Raging Blast!"

Shaking his head, Guy launched a Demon Fang.

It looked like Mieu wasn't the only one indebted to the Fabre twins.

After what seemed like ages of fighting, the three were breathing heavily. Glaring at the Liger Queen, Asch grounded out with gritted teeth, "Our attacks aren't doing anything. Damn it!" He swore loudly, his sword feeling heavy in his hands. Guy looked haggard and Luke's sweaty face didn't reassure him. If not, it made things worse.

"It's not dying!" This was so not his day. He didn't want to be eaten by a Liger! Luke tried another Fang Blade but the Queen didn't even as much flinch this time. _Am I out of energy already?_ He thought frantically, a sinking feeling making him realize that Asch and Guy were probably in the same state. "Asch! Do something!"

Before Asch could retort something along the lines of: "_I would if I could_," a familiar voice made his shoulders sag with relief (he'd later deny it).

"Allow me. . ." Jade smirked, pushing his glasses up. He jumped down to the fight, smiling the whole time. "My, my. . . In a bit of trouble are we? Why am I not surprised?" He mock sighed- a typical Jade response.

"About time old man." Asch smirked back as Luke cheered happily behind him. ("We're saved!) Turning to Jade he asked, "Get lost on your way here?"

"Oh no. I was just admiring the scenery."

Both Guy and Luke facefaulted together. Their lives were in danger yet the Asch and Jade dynamic never changes.

"Jade! Save it for later! Use your Fonic Artes while we take care of this!" Luke yelled, breaking the strained conversation between his older brother and the Malkuth colonel. Honestly. . . and people called _him_ immature? Rolling his eyes, he ran forward to distract the Liger Queen so that Jade could cast some sort of mass destructive Fonic Arte. Secretly, he was hoping that the man would use Meteor Storm. It looked _so_ kickass the last time when Jade took out the entire hive of monsters.

"Howl O raging wind and cleave mine enemies with your blade! Turbulence!" Jade called out, the glyps around him glowing green. Much to Luke's disappointment, the wind based Fonic Arte cycloned around the monster instead of massive fireballs falling from the heavens.

Well, you can't win them all. . .

If he wasn't going be eaten a few moments earlier, he would've felt sort of sorry for the Liger. Now that Jade was here, the monster didn't stand a chance. A three-way counterattack from all of them while backed with dangerous (Luke and Asch were _not_ permitted to _ever_ cast these spells within the properties of the manor) quickly turned the tables in their favor.

Asch lunged forwards, catching the monster with his sword just as Guy struck down from above. Luke had the pleasure of finishing if off with a Havoc Strike. Breathing heavily for a few minutes, the three boys took the time to regain themselves. As much as Luke hated to admit it, he was pretty out of shape if something like this tired him out so much. "So. . . That wasn't so bad. Who wants to do that again?" Receiving incredulous looks from Asch and Guy, the young noble hastily retreated before either of them could strangle him.

Surprisingly it was Jade who sighed. "I'd hate to break up a party so soon, but unfortunately time is of the essence. Next time Luke here wants to play with a Liger Queen, I'll refrain from being involved."

"There won't _be_ a next time." Asch grounded out under his breath, stomping ahead with Luke not a step behind him. Probably because the older twin was dragging the other by the collar of his jacket. "Ever. Guy, let's go." He ordered, determined to get the hell out of here. Jade was putting him on edge and he was already testy enough without the Colonel poking fun at him. Asch ignored Luke's protests of letting go and instead found a stronger grip on the jacket collar.

His logic was: the sooner they got back to the Cheagles and returned the little blue annoyance, the sooner they could get Jade to drop them back at Baticul. The said so little blue annoyance hopped out of the Fon Master's arms and was currently insisting on clinging onto himself. If he wasn't so worried on keeping a hold on his idiotic brother, he'd swatted that thing already.

As if reading his mind, it chirped, "Mieu?"

Score help him. He was slowly loosing his sanity.

"Asch, _let go_ of me!"

"No. You'll run off again and then we have to find you. . . again."

"Aw c'mon! It was only this once!"

". . ."

"Fine. Twice."

". . ."

". . ." Luke visibly drooped. "I won't do it again. . ."

"That's what you said _last_ time."


End file.
